So now that I am out of college and actually have time to do things I like AND a kitchen in which to do them (yes, I refer specifically to baking) I am taking it upon myself to engross my culinary aspirations into the world of gluten free bread. Growing up I never ate bread. When we found out I was gluten intolerant/celiac (the doctors never really figured me out) at the tender age of 7, all bread products were out. Slowly we reintroduced rice products into my diet and it actually became the cornerstone of my daily eating. Rice, chicken, apples, carrots... I was like a toddler again. We introduced other foods in too, but after being tested the results showed that I was allergic to over 200 allergens and these included about 100 foods. We later came to realize that my body had been in a reactive state from the gluten I was unknowingly eating as well as lactose, peanut and soy products. After several years and lots of weekly allergy shots my system calmed down, and I began to live and eat like a normal person. Today, I'm practically balanced out in terms of food, though I will admit that while in France the gluten temptation overwhelmed me a few times, and I paid the price. But even now it's easy to say "no" to those "little" amounts: chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream (Why???! Why must this have gluten in it!?!?), restaurant breadsticks, ect. ect.
Now I live in Seattle. Home of organic food junkies (a funny paradox) and pretty much any and every gluten free product you can think of. I even found a Gluten Free French Bread/Pizza mix a few weeks ago. It is amazing. Today I am making rosemary bread with brown rice flour. Tomorrow I could potentially make Challah Bread... My opportunities are endless, and I intend to take advantage of the gluten free culture that exists so wonderfully in Seattle to make my "dreams" come true.
Hopefully, the next time you see me I will not have put on 20lbs....
One of the beauties of not eating gluten is that it eliminates all that food that can make you fat.
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